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Hey everyone, I have posted these photos on another topic, but I thought I'd start a new topic. Sniping is relatively new to us down her in Tasmania, and for me I've only done two summers so I'm just getting started. As a beginner I thought I'd start the topic and let others give us the benefit of their experience.

Christmas is near.

My budget is $30. Looking at ASR Outdoors kit but wanting something that would last.

Due to a late snow melt in the mountains and above average rain in Edmonton, my favorite spots on a local river are still under 3-4 feet of water. I went to another another nearby river not affected with mountainous spring runoff, did some sampling, only to find 3-4 specs of gold per pan. Somewhat disappointed, I grabbed some grass and pulled it out with the roots. A quick check showed about 30-40 specs per pan. Who knew? So, I spent the rest of the afternoon washing roots. I made a quick video showing my process.

From time to time I like to take things back to reality and talk about what I love - mining & exploration with the emphasis on exploration. I know this is a metal detecting and prospecting site but exploration using heavy equipment could qualify as prospecting on a larger scale. Maybe there are some people out there who have an interest in scaling up their efforts. So I thought i'd share what I have learned from 11 yrs of work on mining claims. I have used several trommels. One was a large home made job that processed about 40 cubic yds of gravel per hour. The last two I used were a Gold Claimer Pioneer 30 & a brand new Heckler Fabrication 2410V. The Pioneer 30 was very easy to use and did it's job withot any real issues even though it was an older unit. The sluice box was very easy to set up. After we constructed a pad to set it on we had it ready for water in less than two hours. It is towable as it comes mounted on an off road trailer. Very mobile and I liked it. It is rated for 15 - 30 yards/hr. We never processed more than the lower end of the range. One thing I have learned about the yardage ratings on most trommels is to cut them in half and if you know that going in you won't be disappointed. The Heckler Fabrication trommel was a beast. Everything on it is heavy duty. It is also mounted on a triler. The 2410V gives you a shaker hopper / feeder as well as the trommel. It is built to last but we had a few issues with jam ups as material entered the trommel from the shaker. it required us to keep a man on the back end dedicated to watching for rock & gravel jam ups because if you don't catch them quickly be prepared for an hour or more of shoveling out the hopper & sometimes even crawling into the barrel with a hammer. Not fun as the barrel is tight. Once again the rated yardage was about double what we achieved which was around 14 yards/hr. The yardage of each trommel matches up pretty close but the Heckler is cheaper and gives you a shaker if you buy the V series. The capture was better on the heckler. I think this was due to the shaker which had a pre-wash and a superior sluice box. Speaking of the sluice box on the heckler, it's a royal pain to set up. It has a short rubber sleeve that the box attaches to and a lousy hose clamp to hold it in place. Forget it. It wouldn't hold and it is very hard to get the box level while keeping the stubby rubber sleeve attached. We ended up chaining it in place. The first time we set up the Heckler it took an entire day because of the sluice box which drove us crazy and caused tempers to flare. The other lesson i learned about the mining aspect of trommels as opposed to exploration is that more yardage is almost always better. If your digging with a mid sized excavator and loading with a skid steer you are very capable of processing 30 - 50 cubic yards of pay gravel per hour. Skid steers work really good as pay loaders. They are fast and much cheaper to operate than a loader. If you're going over the 50 yard per hour range you may need to go to a loader. So it becomes very frustrating when you limit yourself to a 15 yard per hour trommel. When we processed gravels on one of our good locations we had to pump water nearly 2000 ft across a mountain. We used two three inch pumps in series to get enough lift to get over a 100 ft rise. One pump couldn't do it. Things never go as expected and it's rare to run all day withou stopping for something giving you an issue. Our last test run was at a location where hydraulic mining had stopped in 1860 & we were the first ones back in. We were able to run 50 - 60 yards per day and were averaging about an ounce a day. That's with a 15 yard per hour trommel. So you can do the math on a larger trommel. We leased that project out to a group in Nevada. Anyway, that's a little bit of what I have learned over the years. Living off grid on a mining claim & making gold is a feeling like no other. I think they call it freedom.

A tale of two bank robbers. Where is the original Le Trap Bank Robber sluice box factory mold and does anybody know who created it ? My Le Trap Bank Robber sluce came from Jobe whoesale in Apple Valley California. So did Jobe buy the Le Trap from the creator?

I'm planning on doing some gemstone prospecting here soon. I know I can more or less dry pan for diamonds and sapphires, but I'd like to move a bit more dirt, like 1/4 yard test holes in washes, 4-5 test holes a day. I need something light and portable (ATV packable). Lacking any other ideas, I'm just going to use my drywasher. Is there anything better than that?

Has anyone used a Magnetrap before? It seems to be some new gadget for catching black sand before it enters your sluice Here is a video of it. Now, I love gadgets, especially ones that work so I'm going to order one for my Keene A52S. Our rivers have so much black sand I think I'll be cleaning it off after half a bucket of gravels, I can get 35 ounces of black sand in an hour of sluicing stuck in my sluice, I have to clean it out every hour in some rivers or it clogs up really bad so something like this seems a viable quick way to control the black sand. What I don't know is how much gold is going to get stuck in the black sand using it, when I clean out my sluice there is always a lot of gold stuck in it, if I use my magnet to remove the black sand from the pan I lose gold every time so I have to try pan out the black sand as well to make sure I don't loose too much. Something like this seems a viable option. If nobodies got one I'll let you know how it goes in a few months, no way am I entering the creeks or rivers for some sluicing in winter, I value my limbs. ?

I'm going to mount a super magnet to the bottom side of my pick. My question is: How far from the tip should it be mounted? The magnet is 1.5" diameter and the pick blade is 2" wide. As can be seen in the photo (sorry for the overexposure...), if I mount it touching the neck then the closest any part of the magnet will be from the blade edge is (4.5" - 1.5" = ) 3.0 inches (7.5 cm). Is that best or should I mount it closer to the blade edge? In case it matters (and isn't obvious), the use for this pick is aeolian placers (e.g. Rye Patch, NV).

From https://www.xpmetaldetectors.com/metal-detector/gold-prospecting/ THE GOLD SLUICE VS1: DYNAMIC SELF-CLEANING VORTEXES! 40 vortexes work together to capture gold via an innovative dynamic process that avoids aggregate saturation. Large Riffles Top zone designed for initial gold grain capture Allows a quick visual check of the potential of your gold field. Flow Control System & Collaborating Vortex 3 vertical blades coupled with lateral constrictions Stabilise and accelerate water flow, improving dynamic vortex performances. Ultra Light: 560 g. only Compact design: Molded with precision in France No mats, no screws : Saves time and efficiency in the field XP BACKPACK 280 hook Blue color : optimal contrast with the gold color Take your gold hunting to the next level!

I Started A Facebook Discussion Community For Le'Trap and Other Drop Riffle group. It's non-commercial and hopefully stir up some good discussion.( Please delete this post Steve if it is not allowed.) The Le'Trap was originally designed In Canada some 30+ years ago, and still has a following today. It has been reproduced by different manufacturers throughout North America. https://www.facebook.com/groups/425638906120030

Back in 2014 I posted a new type of gold concentrator for dry material , well I've been working on better models ever since . The story goes like this ? First ' I had a rough idea about making a dry unit that would be better & different . I wanted it to be hand operated & still be able to concentrate material quickly without loss of gold . So the mission starts back in 2013 , I work at it with an obsession design after design . 2014 ' I have a good working design ' I ask Dave to test on the field , he runs a tiny about of dirt & it works and finds gold that detectors can't see . That design was complicated ' made from aluminium , expensive to make . 2015 - I start working on a a new concept & test more variations of this , 2016 - I now have what I think is it , my old mate Barry & I test them out on the field with top results , but not good enough for me . 2017 - I change the shape of the design & internals ' I'm trying to get the thing to be faster & more efficient . 2018 - I keep testing whilst making more changes to try & figure out why it's not a performing perfectly . 2019 - I found the answer at last in Feb that year ! Well not quiet ' took another year & I still cant stop trying to make it perfect ? First photo back in 2014 field testing & some other models from around the same time 3rd photo field testing 2016 new design More to come Jack

Steve i tried to load this in the accessories forum but it is archived--- would you mind placing it in the correct place for me,,,thx paul https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-ouRCXcJJA_MGJrSm5RSmNHelk/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-ouRCXcJJA_MGJrSm5RSmNHelk/view?usp=sharing One of these is a little better than the other----pretty simple

Example of a recirculating highbanker setup with two (2) 12vdc pumps.

I'm not much of a sluicer. I'd rater be looking for nuggets with my detector. I like gold I can pick up with my fingers lol. My wife bought a small Keene sluice box several years ago and we set up a recirculating system at home where we could run some dirt at our leisure just for fun. I never really liked my home made set up. Although it worked it was slow..It was like a mini high banker made with stuff I got at the local hardware store. I was wanting something more efficient. In my search I found Gold Fox USA. There is also an Australian version that is the same company with a dealer who distributes for them in Oz. I wont go into a lot of boring detail...you can go to their web site and face book page or youtube for that...However I would like to say that so far I am very happy with this little set up. I can run unclassified material through this sluice extremely fast. The trommel is five inches in diameter. I've only used it three times so far and time will tell on how durable it is but it seems to be very well built. The company has many different sizes and options available. They are fast and get the product to you when they say they will. If you have a question Kelly the owner will get on the phone and answer it for you. The Lil Monster Deluxe comes with a 12v 2000 GPH pump. You supply your own power. I am using a RV deep cycle battery that I had laying around. I also bought a 700 GPH 12v pump and am using the two pumps together. The reason being is the material I am running is mostly clay and I wanted more water to help break it down. The only thing you have to watch is that the jets that supply the trommel will get plugged with organic material. They are easy to clean. In fact if you turn off the water supply to the hopper so it feeds the jets only...the water pressure is enough to flush them clean most of the time. Give them a look. https://www.goldfoxusa.com https://www.facebook.com/goldfoxusa/ strick

For you bench gravel recirculating highbankers using a 12vdc 65 pound AGM deep cycle battery for a couple of 12vdc recirculating pumps. The price for Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries and portable solar panels are dropping. Pair a 20 pound 50 amp hour LiFePo battery with a folding 100 watt solar panel equipped with a built in charge controller and run your 12 vdc pumps and solar charge your LiFePo battery at the same time at half the weight. Take a look at Renogy Solar, Battle Born, etc.. You need AC & DC take look at Jackery, Bluetti, etc., Need a light weight highbanker with matts take a look at Gold Hog.

Summer in the USA, the fields are planted, the ground is turning to concrete, the rivers and beaches are either off limits or full of people and boats. Some boats are on the beach too. ? Heck you have to mow or bush hog your own spots to detect! I've been refining the amount of stuff I carry, trying to make it as light and simple as possible. For the Summer I have it down to this: Calces365 bag with the mesh on the keeper pocket and the trash pocket, it drains out the sand/water from your finds. On the belt is the Carrot, and a Doc's deep bag for my composite trowel, a brass wire brush, and a Kong rubber Frisbee for dogs that rolls up for putting the dirt in. Makes it easy to clean up, and isn't too big. When rolled in the bag the trowel fits right in. One knee pad, and the best warm weather nitrile gloves I could find, they are 5 bucks at Lowes. I can use my cell phone while wearing them, sorta. They will save you from cuts and poison ivy. The only other thing I might add to this rig is a 9mm MOLLE mag pouch with a spray bottle for the silvers but I don't find so many of them. ? If Doc ever reads this, the trowel bag could use some mesh on the bottom to drain water and sand, may modify it soon but I'm not good at sewing. Got some spare OD Kevlar though... ? Edit: Please don't think that I'm pushing minimalism in any way. That's just my preference, the whole point of this thread is to show what ya carry, and tell why in some cases so others can get ideas for possible substitutions. The bigger the better. Lots of people browse this forum for ideas. Gear is a big part of what we do. I've seen some pretty big rigs, and totally understand them. Remember I just walk out my front door to detect and use a modified off road golf cart! ? I can bring a lot of stuff if I want.

Looking to add a high banker to my arsenal of prospecting gear. It will dump into a settling pool or be recirculated in large tubs. (Can't release the water back into the river, here in Ca) Any recommendations on brands or models would be appreciated. I like to get input from available resources before I cut the check. Advice and input much appreciated.

The new XP Gold Sluice. Chuck

This may be the wrong form but here goes. I know Bill stopped making these but does anyone know where I could get the hand crank handle assembly?

I took a picture of my collection of crevice suckers for the Classifieds and figured it would make a good photo to post here for people to see a few designs old and new.

Hi forum, hopefully yaal are keeping safe.Im looking for the following mat.Its been discontinued but im gonna try anyways.I need 2 pieces and hopefully some great gold prospector out there can help me out. Mat dimensions are 8" wide 20,5" long Im looking for exactly this mat and not the blue 10" version,we dont want to cut it down. Can anyone help Many thanks Highlandhowler

I know it still comes down to getting the old pan out but I was wondering if any of you ever used the above Trommel? I know it’s been around a long time and I’ve seen videos but I want to hear from someone not selling. I was thinking maybe of running the material out of my drywasher. Any and all opinions appreciated. Chuck

I can't figure out a reliable way to re-mount this pick handle. This is a small pick (USA quarter on left, Australia 1943 penny on right, for scale). You can see what I tried -- wooden wedge in the long direction and steel wedge in the short direction. This didn't hold worth a nickel. Given that this design has been in use for well over a century there must be a solution. I can't be the first person to have this issue. (I looked online without success.) Any advice is appreciated.